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Yaqub Talib pleads guilty to youth coach's murder
Yaqub Talib, brother of NFL cornerback Aqib Talib, was sentenced to 37 years in prison on Monday for the murder of youth football coach Mike Hickmon. Following the sentencing, friends and family members had an opportunity to address Talib directly.
LANCASTER, Texas - A North Texas man pleaded guilty to murdering a youth football coach during a game in Lancaster last year.
Yaqub Talib was sentenced to 37 years in prison for the shooting death of 43-year-old Michael Hickmon on Monday as part of a plea agreement.
Yaqub is the brother of retired NFL cornerback Aqib Talib. Both were at the youth football game last August when the shooting happened.
Aqib was not charged with any crimes and was in court on Monday for his brother's sentencing.
Witnesses said the Talib brothers got into a fight with Michael over a referee’s call.
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Yaqub Talib sentenced to 37 years in prison
Yaqub Talib, the brother for former NFL cornerback Aqib Talib, shot and killed Mike Hickmon during a youth football in Lancaster in 2022.
The fight escalated, and Yaqub shot Michael in front of several children, including Michael’s 9-year-old son.
Following the sentencing, members of Michael's family and friends had a chance to address Yaqub directly.
Michael’s wife, Kenyetta Hickmon, talked about how the shooting has completely changed her life and that she is now raising three kids alone.
"What do you tell a 9-year-old who watched a person gunned down who they thought was the strongest person in the world?" she said.
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Wife of murdered football coach addresses Yaqub Talib
Mike Hickmon's wife addressed Yaqub Talib after he was sentenced to 37 years in prison. Talib shot and killed Hickmon after a fight at a youth football game in Lancaster.
Kenyetta told Yaqub the shooting impacted many lives at the game between 9-year-old boys.
"You killed innocence hopes, dreams, not just my kids, but 30-40 other little kids there," she said.
Reginald Oldman, a longtime friend, said Michael was someone you could always count on.
"He was one of the only guys I knew going into college that had a father who lived at home with him," he said. "So he had this strength that a lot of us didn't have. He walked with his head tall."
Mike Hickmon
Michael’s oldest sister, Ciciely Hickmon, questioned why Yaqub brought a gun to a youth football game to begin with.
Based on his criminal history, Yaqub was not legally allowed to have a gun and was indicted only months earlier for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
"You were not at an event where you felt like your life was going to be in jeopardy," Ciciely said.
"Every day I tell myself you made a plea of guilty, but your punishment ahead is much greater," Kenyetta said.
Yaqub has a criminal history dating back to 2015 and was on probation at the time. He’s been arrested in Dallas and Collin counties on charges including aggravated assault, child endangerment, and drug possession.
The Hickmon family is suing Yaqub, Aqib and the Big XII Youth Sports League. They are seeking more than $1 million in damages for his death.
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